05.09.16: The Count

The Consejo Nacional Electoral (CNE), the country’s electoral body, has finished its role in the first step of the recall referendum against Maduro: it has counted all of the signatures that the opposition submitted to it last Monday.

The announcement was made by the mayor of the Sucre municipality in Caracas, Carlos Ocariz. Ocariz said that at 11:36 AM, the CNE finished counting the 200,220 forms it received from the opposition, which contained 1,786,000 signatures.

Ocariz also called on the CNE to immediately launch the verification process. This next step will require everyone who signed the forms to personally verify their signature at one of the centres that the CNE will have to set up for that purpose.

National Assembly President Henry Ramos Allup and Miranda state governor Henrique Capriles called for the demonstration earlier today, and were quickly followed by other opposition figures who disseminated the information.

Prosecutors in the drug trafficking case involving Cilia Flores’ nephews – Efrain and Franqui – have brought to the court’s attention a possible conflict of interest in the case. According to the prosecutors, the fact that the legal fees for both defendants are being paid by a single individual presents the possibility that the interests of one or both of them will not be observed by the defense.

The potential conflicts arises due to the fact that the same individual is financing the legal defenses of both of the accused. For example, the person paying the fees could try to influence the defense [to carry out] a global defense that would not be interest of one or both of the accused. It is also possible that this third party could persuade a lawyer to avoid seeking a sentencing reduction by cooperating [with authorities], or tell some one of the two accused to abstain from speaking in his defense.

The motion calls for a meeting with defense attorneys to ensure that they can provide a defense to both of the accused that is free from conflicts of interest. Alternatively, the accused can waive their right to a conflict of interest-free defense.

The two men were arrested in Port-au-Prince, Haiti on November 10 2015 by DEA agents for allegedly arranging to smuggle 800 kilograms of cocaine into the United States. They are in custody and awaiting trial in a New York City court.

Panama Papers Reveal Venezuela-Iran Link

Panama Papers Venezuela, a website set up by investigative journalists pouring over the leaked files from the Mossack Fonseca law firm for Venezuelan connections, reported findings today that link the Venezuelan government under Hugo Chavez to Iran.

We have decided to not incorporate the company in Panama due to the recent restrictions on Iran by the United Nations.

One of the firm’s partners, Chris Zollinger, even warned that becoming involved in any business between Venezuelan and Iran would be too risky for the law firm. In an email dated January 5 2007, Zollinger wrote:

It seems like it’s too risky for our reputation. On top of this – and even though we are apolitical – I don’t think we should indirectly help Chavez and Ahmedinejad with their mutual plans.